Colombia polarized by Uribe’s battle with courts
June 30th, 2008 | by admin |By Hugh Bronstein
BOGOTA, June 30 (Reuters) - Colombian President AlvaroUribe deepened his feud with the courts on Monday by goingahead with plans for a referendum aimed at rerunning the 2006election in which he won a second term.
The popular leader reacted angrily to last week’s SupremeCourt ruling that said a former lawmaker was bribed by highgovernment officials to support the constitutional amendmentthat allowed Uribe to seek re-election.
The judges recommended a legal review of the 2006 vote butrather than wait for that, the U.S-backed president wants totake his case directly to voters.
Uribe’s move throws politics into turmoil as hislong-simmering feud with Colombia’s courts over his hard-linepolicies breaks into an open clash.
After the bribery ruling was handed down Uribe said theSupreme Court was politically biased and may even be influencedby Colombia’s multibillion-dollar cocaine trade.
His combative strategy opens the possibility of a specialelection that could give him a new mandate and allow morepublic debate over whether he should be allowed to try to stayin power beyond 2010 when his current term ends.
“The referendum is on the way,” presidential advisor JoseObdulio Gaviria said as the opposition howled that Uribe isthumbing his nose at the judicial system and throwing off theconstitutional checks and balances of the country.
The president’s staff was busy on Monday drawing up thewording of the proposal. If it is approved by Congress thereferendum will be put before the country’s voters.
